Pie Pans

There are few things as American as pie and pie pans are the base for every good pie, be it apple, cherry or rhubarb. Pie pans are typically metal and mostly aluminum. The key to a great pie is a perfect, flaky crust. Ingredients are, of course, important, but the key to a great crust is the way it is prepared. The butter in a pie crust needs to always remain chilled. Start by mixing it into the dry ingredients cold and then place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Remove the cold dough from the fridge and begin rolling it out on a cool counter top. Place the rolled out crust in the pie pan and cut the edges to fit. Then place it in the refrigerator once again to cool. Don’t forget to store the dough being used to make the lattice in the cooler while you are preparing the crust. Once the dough has been chilled, using a fork, dock the dough to ensure that no bubbles form while the crust is baking.